I teach fourth grade in Wisconsin. Our school is an agriculture school. We have just purchased four Tower Gardens. I was wondering if anyone has lesson plans for grade 3-5? I am also looking for a gardening journal that is modeled for use with a Tower Garden. Does anyone have one that is willing to share? If not, we should definitely be developing one.

I teach first grade and I have a classroom set of Chrome books. Through google classroom, I set up a google slide project (like power point) and shared it with each student so they each have their own journal slide show. Each student was assigned a seedling/plant to observe/journal. Each slide page has a text box for the journal entry date, below that there are 2 text boxes-one for the weekly photo and the other to record/journal their observations. We used a web-cam to take the photos and measured the plants each week. Although the weekly process was time consuming for my 1st graders (especially the journaling) it was a true project-based learning activity. My students were so engagedand felt like scientists. They also learned so many ancillary typing/computer skills as a bonus! Their journals are impressive for 1st graders and they are proud of their projects!

Sorry for late reply. I just used google slides. I set up the first slide and shared it through google classroom to each student.

The slide has a skinny rectangular text box on top for the date; then two side by side square text boxes below the date box. One text box students entered their observations about their plant-color; shape; leaves; how tall and/or wide; changes since last. The other text box was for the picture of the plant. I am not sure how I can share it with you. Do you know?

I just did an experiment with my 5th graders for seed starting for the Tower Garden. They started seeds in soil and hydroponically to see which one grew faster over a month. If you'd like the lab worksheet, let me know!

I am a 7th & 8th grade FCS teacher. I just received a grant to purchase the science bundle and I'm applying for more to continue building our outside garden and environmental classroom. Our towers have arrived and we are putting them together on Friday. THANK YOU!!!!

Check out pblu.org They have a Tower Garden Challenge that is geared toward 6/7 grade. It looks fabulous and all of the thinking and planning work is done for you. You will just need to make it happen in your class! I teach 2-5 th grade so it is a bit advanced for my kids.

I do not have the gardening journal but wish I did. I am working (alone) with a new B&G Club. There ae no other adults to help out but I have 3-7 girls, grades 8-10 who are interested. Here is what i did the first semester. I am starting semester 2 and am at a loss of what to do new.

Session 1: Showed DVD on Tower Garden from You Tube, what it is.

Session 2. Set up Tower Garden and started seeds in rock wool.

Session 3 showed You Tube on Phloem and Xylem and brought in Celery and food colors to teach them about the flow and feeding cells. A florist donated white daisies she was going to throw out and we tried to see if the food color would change the color of the flower. (It did not)

Session 4: Went over shape of fruits and vegetables and compared food we eat to body parts to body parts they are good for.

Session 5: Color Code of fruits and vegetables and how each color helps to keep us healthy.

Session 6. Tasted different pestos with crackers

Session 7: I brought in salad fixings and 3 different dressings (Our TG took way too long to grow) and ate salads and talked.

Session 8: Brought in cranberries, oranges, apples and sugar and my blenders for them to make Cranberry Relish

Session 9: Brought in Fruits and cool whip for fruit salads and talked about healthy eating and favorite fruits.

Session 9: Brought in covered containers and items for making Kale Pesto for Christmas gifts.

Session 10: Had a review on TG and Foods that resemble body parts and different colors of food for healthy eating.

Next two sessions canceled due to weather (snow storm and then school closing for Christmas Vacation--3 weeks off)

I checked in yesterday to change the water and get the TG set up for second semester.

NOW it is time to restart the garden with new seeds but after that I have no new ideas on lesson plans or how to make this simpler for younger grades. Any ideas?

bonniejean, I love this, thank you! I am an absolute rookie, but am working on getting some Tower Gardens into the middle school where I teach. I looked at the pblu lesson plans, but was unable to download them. To be honest, the lesson plans there looked a little above our level. I hope to use a Tower Garden in an elective class next year, and really appreciate some of the practical ideas you put up.

Hi Kristen! I teach an elective in middle school! I am a family and consumer science teacher I wrote a grant and received three tower Gardens that we use in our classroom. I actually will be leading a small workshop for state convention in July with regards to the FCS classroom and tower Gardens. What do you teach?

Hi pprather1!I teach German in Oklahoma, so there is really no connection between what I teach and Tower Gardens. There have been some scheduling changes at my school that mean that I will again be teaching two hours per day of a different elective. I don't know what my administrators have planned for me, but I would like to present to them the idea of having a Tower Garden class. I am scrambling to find a curriculum that I can present to them soon. (SOON!) Assuming that they will approve the idea, I will adjust my scrambling pattern to find a grant. I may be dreaming here, but the idea of teaching (and learning) about the Tower Garden is giving me hope for the coming school year.

Since I don't know whether this project will be approved or not, I imagine I can take just about any approach. The curricula I have seen are all about the science, compiling data and comparing the TG with a horizontal garden. I can handle the science, but my interests are more in line with a Health and Wellness approach-- something that would be in the realm of family and consumer science, or Health/Physical Education. Have you written a curriculum, or found one that is working for you? Would you be willing to share them, and any tips you may have regarding grant sources? I am literally about four days old in this entire idea, so I'm on a huge learning curve, along with the usual end-of-the-school-year routine.

So I'm super late replying. I apologize for that. Chalk it up to one crazy year!!! I'm in Texas. And yes, I also connect it to health and wellness. Stephen Ritz' new book might help you in that area. You are right, the TG curriculum lends itself to STEM teaching. But in reviewing several of the lessons (and I pray pray pray they'll create more!!) it seems they could be adapted. To hold a class about gardening would be awesome!! Urban gardening in a modern age!! Review some videos about how restaurants use them would pretty cool. Also, I follow lots of TG farms on Instagram. I bet they'd be willing to answer questions you have to create some lessons. This link will show you one restaurant in NY. But there is a YouTube video with several storie compiled together. Future Growing Rooftop Tower Garden Farm at the Bell Book and Candle restaurant in Manhattan - YouTube

You are welcome to email me at school! Priscill.Prather@nisd.net if you'd like to collaborate more. I'm working on a workshop presentation about using the TG for sustainabilit, health and wellness and nutrition in the FCS classroom right now.

No worries about slow replies, I totally understand. I wish I could be a fly on the wall at your presentation! I am approved to teach two sections of whatever I want. Yippeee!! --Now I just have to figure out what I want to teach them! Thank you for the tips and links. I look forward to seeing them. Thanks also for the email address. Mine is kjones@mid-del.net.

I think that the approach I would like to take will involve smart shopping, reading labels, and introducing the concept of whole foods v the SAD. The kiddos are heading to Bible camp tomorrow, so I am looking forward to some really productive work time. I would love to hear how the presentation goes.

I am a school teacher in Rush Springs, OK. I teach STEM classes and I set up an entrepreneurial class to work with 21 Tower Gardens that I have purchased through a grant program and fund raising programs. I have my students use the Tower Gardens as their business, and they tract all supplies and mineral blend they use weekly, plus they market their produce in our own farmers market which we started holding weekly in March, 2017. I have a lot of information on this and I am also a Juice Plus distributor in Oklahoma. I have already set up 4 other schools on the program and I am also bringing more distributors under me to help set up more schools that I am contacting now. I have been invited to host a couple of seminars and I have several schools looking at my program for help getting theirs started. If you need more information or would like to talk you can call me during the summer at my home 580-252-9194, or email me at llance@rushsprings.k12.ok.us. I hope to be of help to you. Larry Lance